Two Woman In Great Need

Yulens and Nur are two woman who share a tragic past--they are both burn victims. I am not talking about a burned finger or even a hand. These women were badly burned--their photos are so shocking I have not included them in this post. They are both as bad or worse than Yulce (read her story on our web-site).

A door has opened for both of them to go to Bethesda Hospital in Borneo for treatment. They will need extensive skin grafts and will have to survive surgery. These women are in very bad physical shape and emotionally near their very end.

Please join me in prayer for the demands of travel just to get to the hospital. Their husbands will be traveling with them to assist them and encourage them each step of the way. They have long rides in cars, airline flights and over 20 hours on boats crossing vast open waters. There are several legs to this journey. They left today and will have four days of travel.

Peter Scarborough has said they are very concerned for them--especially Nur. She is just very frail and in a weak condition. She needs help immediately and cannot wait for another door to open. These women have loving and supportive husbands and are mothers. Their families need them.

We have tried to find doors to open here in America--they just have not opened. This is the only opportunity they have and we have great concerns for them. We pray they will have successful surgeries and the strength to endure the long trip just to get to the help they both desperately need.

I will give updates as I get them.

Vino Going Home

Vino and his family are on their way back to Indonesia. I remember when Vino's father brought him to our clinic (see photo) with some very bad burns--his chin, chest, ears, neck and right arm were effected by the kerosene fire. Arrangements were made to bring Vino to L.A. where the Grossman Burn Center would provide the needed surgeries and therapy. He was accompanied by his father to America. It took about four years and several surgeries--in that time Vino's mother joined them and a new little brother joined their family. They really did well and Vino has a positive future ahead of him. He is so smart and is fluent in English. He has no accent and made lots of friends in his time in America.

I want to thank The Children's Burn Foundation, Grossman Burn Center and Tina Johnson for the compassion and countless hours they invested to make Vino a whole person. They are the heroes.

They are on the flight to Indonesia as I am writing. They should be nearing Tokyo and hopefully will have no problems in finding their connecting flights. They will land in Singapore then on to Jakarta.

I will get to see them when I go to Indonesia. They are happy to be going home but really feel that the time in America was a "miracle" door for them. Vino is smart and should have a bright future.

Soup Success

It was not the food booth on a busy Indonesian street but it was lots of fun and the Soto Makassar was excellent. Jim and Cindy Aldrich did a great job with all the preparation and hours of cooking the soup. They wanted the participants to get a taste of Indonesia. Jim showed slides from the recent trip and detailed the work in east Indonesia.

The tables were set up just like you would have if you sat down at the place we enjoy going to get this wonderful soup. The hard boiled eggs, (very) hot sauce, salt, rice and cut slices of limes were set on the tables in bowls. Then a bottle of water was there for everyone to put out the fire if they used too many scoops of the very hot sauce.

We had a lot of fun and the soup was excellent. We just missed the dogs walking through as you are eating, the sound of car horns and shouting in the streets, the wooden benches and smiling Indonesian faces. I know Cindy took a step of faith and she did a great job--the soup was a success.

Soto Makassar

Soto Makassar is an outstanding soup that I have come to enjoy very much. I have taken many of my friends to the roadside booth in Tobelo where the best Soto Makassar is served. The soup is a broth with beef cut into small pieces. It is served very hot in a large soup bowl. You have the option of putting a small block of sticky rice, a hard boiled egg, squeeze a lime slice, a spoon of hot pepper sauce, and salt. You can add whatever you want in whatever amounts--it will make you sweat. It has its own wonderful flavor and can be very filling. Imagine the sounds of people and vehicles in the background as you sit and enjoy this amazing Indonesian soup. It is hard to beat.

This Saturday we will partake of the northern version of this soup. We are going to have an Indonesian dinner with the main dish Soto Makassar. Cindy Aldrich has stepped forward to give it a try. I am ready to give her version a chance. It should be a lot of fun and very good to eat.

True American Idols

I am in awe of the goodness of so many people who volunteer to help the people of Indonesia. These volunteers are gifted and well prepared for the investment of their time. They are the true American Idols. They do not need to sing the the latest hits for millions on network broadcasts--they just quietly give of themselves.

I am getting ready to take another team in February. It will take three days travel to get to the remote region of Indonesia. We have purchased tickets and have been meeting every week to coordinate our children, medical and language programs. We have had a lot of fun together and enjoyed getting to know each other. This will be an enjoyable time with some amazing people.

Last year 22 teams travel to Indonesia to volunteer their gifts and trade skills. I get to spend time with the best people in America. They are the true heroes. They have found the secret that fulfilment comes in what you give not what you keep.

Two More in Medical School

Adrian an Antonetta are both very smart and committed young adults. I have admired both of them and knew they had high potential. They both took the entrance exam to medical school and passed. We already had two of our staff in medical school. Nius and Melly are doing well and now will be joined by these two. It is very costly to start school. We are planting seeds for the future. Someday we will have four amazing doctors running our clinic and ward. Adrian and Antonetta will begin school this summer then they have five years of hard work ahead of them. It takes time to grow strong leaders.

Onward Into 2009

What a challenging year we have experienced in 2008--our world has changed in these few months. Now we face 2009 with it's own challenges and hopes. I have found that even with the ebb and flow of the world economy there are things that do not change. They do not move aside when world markets crack under their own weight. Like the false assurance that may come while taking the first few steps on a frozen lake--soon it will begin to reveal it's strength. You either find the ice capable of holding your weight or you hear the sound of cracking under your feet. It is no fun navigating on cracking ice.

The unchanging things are serious and challenging. Hunger does not wait for the economy to stabilize. Disease is not on vacation when the markets take a nose dive. People living in poverty are the real victim to these changes--there are more added to their numbers. We serve the poorest-of-the-poor and find they know nothing about AIG and the DOW Jones. They are only looking for the next meal and a place to sleep. Their lives are simple--they live day-to-day.

We will not change our mission--we will continue to serve the poor. We will look for ways to assist them in their medical needs. We have children who were thrown away and would not have a future. We care for lepers who are the rejected outcasts of this region. We plan to build another home for their treatment this year.

We cannot and will not stop our care of the least and lowest. We look with hope and optimism to 2009. I know thousands will have their lives changed because when they seek help they will find a place of hope.